South African Business 2019 edition

PROFILE The

PROFILE The South African International Maritime Institute SAIMI is at the helm of maritime skills development. SAIMI works with organisations such as the NSRI to support programmes developing life skills and maritime skills for school learners and future seafarers. South Africa’s blue economy offers a beacon of hope for sustainable job creation and economic growth in a field of almost unending potential. Playing a vital role in developing this burgeoning industry, the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) facilitates the skills development to support growth in the sector and the country’s aim to be a leading maritime nation. “Essentially, our role is to help South Africa steer the right course in growing the skills needed for the rapid development of the maritime sector as envisaged under Operation Phakisa,” says SAIMI’s acting chief executive Odwa Mtati. Boasting, as it does, more than 3 000km of coastline and territorial waters larger than its land size, South Africa is extremely well positioned to explore the diverse economic and job creation opportunities that lie within the marine sector. “All the natural foundations are in place. South Africa is the African continent’s only country with access to and control over sea waters covering three oceans,” says Mtati. “While South Africa’s land surface is 1.21-million square kilometres, the waters under its control cover some 1.6-million SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2019 60

PROFILE square kilometres. The coastline stretches from the cold Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Southern Ocean in the south, and then to the warm Indian Ocean in the east.” Headquartered in Port Elizabeth, and with plans to eventually be represented in all of South Africa’s major coastal cities, SAIMI works with educational institutions, government departments and the private sector across South Africa. Its primary role is to respond to industry needs by identifying skills gaps, facilitating collaboration and development of new programmes, and coordinating maritime education and training in areas across the diverse maritime economy spectrum – from shipping and transport, to aquaculture, boat-building and oil and gas exploration, through to ocean governance and environmental management. One way of doing this is by reaching out to the younger generation, educating them about sea-going career opportunities and also offering training facilities through its management of the National Cadet Programme. Funded by the National Skills Fund, the programme – which was SAIMI’s first and still its largest project – offers practical training and sea time with international shipping lines, enabling maritime diploma students to obtain the internationally recognised Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch-keeping (STCW) qualifications and become globally sought-after seafarers. Innovative approaches to seafarer training, which have the potential for replication if successful, are being followed with some of the partner shipping companies, which recruit a small number of cadets into an intensive programme aimed at developing their own future officer corps from cadet to apprentice to fully-fledged officer. The programme has also extended its reach to school level in an effort to encourage interest in maritime careers, sponsoring holiday camps and maritime experiential programmes for school learners, along with maths and science support to ensure entry to maritime studies programmes. In addition, the institute is currently facilitating a pilot project with the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) for CONTACT DETAILS Physical address: Ocean Sciences Campus, Gomery Avenue, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Postal address: PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa Tel: +27 41 504 4038 Email: info@saimi.co.za Website: www.saimi.co.za training of deck and engine ratings towards Certificates of Proficiency as Able Seafarers, to work in areas such as vessel maintenance, rigging and cargo handling for merchant shipping and the fishing industry. In a long-standing partnership with the Africa region of the International Oceans Institute, SAIMI supports the annual IOI Ocean Governance for Africa course which equips public sector officials from South Africa and the African continent to understand the maritime aspects of environmental management and planning. SAIMI is funded by a threeyear grant of R296-million from the National Skills Fund for the skills and capacity-building work to support Operation Phakisa, an initiative of the South African government. The initiative was designed to fast-track the implementation of the oceans economy and address issues highlighted in the National Development Plan 2030 such as poverty, unemployment and inequality. A common thread running through all Operation Phakisa initiatives is the need to develop the skills to operate the engine room, as well as to navigate the way forward. SAIMI is at the helm of this skills development as well as capacity building and empowerment of people to support the goals of Operation Phakisa and growth of the maritime economy. 61 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2019